Producing, possessing child pornography sends Glendive man to prison for 40 years

 BILLINGS — A Glendive man who admitted producing and possessing child pornography videos for years was sentenced today to 40 years in prison followed by supervised release for life, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif Johnson said.

Anthony Dwayne Boldt, 44, pleaded guilty on July 16, 2020 to production of child pornography and to possession of child pornography.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. Judge Watters also ordered $36,972 in restitution.

“Not only are vulnerable child victims harmed by the production of this explicit and unlawful material, they are harmed again and again and again when that material is shared, usually through the internet, and then possessed. This sentence sends a powerful message that those who commit these crimes will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Acting U.S. Attorney Johnson said.

The prosecution said in court documents filed in the case that in January 2020, law enforcement received information that Boldt may have been videotaping sexual activity with a juvenile girl. Law enforcement also received digital storage cards from Boldt’s residence and files on the cards confirmed the reported activity.

Law enforcement served a search warrant on Bolt’s residence and seized multiple items of electronic media. A forensic analysis of the media found videos of Boldt and the victim engaging in sexually explicit conduct, in addition to videos of other victims, including prepubescent children, engaging in similar conduct. In an interview with law enforcement, the victim confirmed that she was the person depicted with Boldt in many of the videos and that Boldt had sexually assaulted her since about 2014.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI.

This case was initiated under the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative, which was launched in 2006 to combat the proliferation of technology-facilitated crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children. Through a network of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and advocacy organizations, Project Safe Childhood attempts to protect children by investigating and prosecuting offenders involved in child sexual exploitation. It is implemented through partnerships including the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The ICAC Task Force Program was created to assist state and local law enforcement agencies by enhancing their investigative response to technology facilitated crimes against children.